How to Train your Dragon

[Riv]

Just saw this in 2D after hearing all the good word-of-mouth. Loved it. Not being a big fan of Shrek 2 or Kung-fu Panda, HTTYD is definitely my favourite Dreamworks CGI film since Antz. A simple story well told with a lot of heart and absolutely beautiful animation! I love the fact that it is in essence a serious movie with comedic moments, rather than a comedy or (thank goodness!) a haphazard string of gags with shoehorned Messages (Monsters vs Aliens, ugh )

It is not a flawless movie. I agree that the viking teens were an unwelcome reminder that you are watching something "from the creators of Shrek", although the characters ended up quite unobtrusive and the smugness really only edges across the line with the D&D statistics. The film did dip into the ole barrel of cliches one too many times - misunderstod inventor! daddy issues! training montage! spunky romantic interest! - to really reach Pixar levels of storytelling. The opening was also not the strongest and reminded me a little of Ratatouille with its exposition overload. That being said, once Hiccup and Toothless start bonding the movie just takes off and never looks back! I really enjoyed all the work put into giving all the dragons - but especially Toothless - realistic animalistic traits: the cat-like body movements, bird-like head-cocking and many other wonderful details! Dragon design was also top notch, with the highlight being the Monster Hunterish final boss dragon

Flying scenes were awesome and more than matched Avatar's flair (Jakesoolee never did a loop-de-loop!); the falling scenes were even better and probably the most intense since Cody falling off the cliff-face in Rescuers Down Under! Relationships between the main characters were well done and believable; again, I was relieved that Astrid and the other teens were won over by Hiccup so quickly without having to resort to another subplot. I also enjoyed the fact that being a tinkerer was actually essential to Hiccup's character and plot development. So many animated movies have made the main character an inventor only to downplay the trait once the plot starts moving along (e.g. Meet the Robinsons) or treat it as a totally interchangeable aspiration (e.g. Robots). HTTYD, like a Bug's Life, instead weaves this into the central relationship between boy and dragon and my favourite scenes in the movie were when Hiccup was testing his various tailfin prototypes while also learning facts about dragons that help him in the ring.

Finally, has there been any recent mainstream children's movie that has treated

amputation

with such openness and respect, and thus bringing the boy/dragon symbiosis full circle? Top marks!

[Ben]

And, of course...

http://animatedviews.com/2010/hollywood ... -dragon-2/

How To Ruin Your Decent Dragon Franchise...?

[Bill1978]

Isn't HTTYD based on a series of books?

How close is the movie to the actual book, cause if it is a series at least there is a true potential sequel story already in existence and Dreamworks won't be required to make up their own story and get Hiccup to help rid their village of lovable green ogres and wise cracking zebras by taming a giant woman who works for the shark mafia on the other side of the village's hedge by convincing her to stop eating honey and use her kung fu moves to sqaush the invaders like little antz.

[ELIOLI]

This could be a good thing or a bad thing. With Dragons success critically, it would always seem more of a challange to reach the previous movie's success(no problem finacially) but also critically. I hope for the moment, considering it's going to be out 3 years from now, it will still have DeBlois and Sanders working on it, and stays true to the 'magic' like in the first one. Now, it is based of a book series, so it shouldn't be hard to know where to go after Dragons. I for one, is skeptical knowing how ANY sequel is, I really hope it does as well or better than the first. But we don't have much to stand on at the moment, so all we can (for some of you who plan to pointlessly mock at pretty much ANYTHING...and some who are more grownup like and don't act like children) just wait 'till we here more about it. I'll still see the movie no matter what, but right now, it's to early to tell anything, and kinda sad that about 3 more pages into this will also be filled with lame jokes and trying to be the comedic superstar of sarcasticness when at all, your not really funny. It kinda gets old. Right now, I am more in the hopeing and curious stage.

[Meg]

How To Ruin Your Decent Dragon Franchise...?

More like How To Milk Your Dragon For All It's Worth!"

How close is the movie to the actual book, cause if it is a series at least there is a true potential sequel story already in existence...

Though I haven't read the books, the story in the novel the movie is based of off is pretty different than the film. There's no 'war' going on between the dragons and the vikings at all - in fact, Hiccup finds Toothless (who in this case is tiny, greedy, and lazy) when on a mission with the other village boys to catch dragons to train. I think the whole romantic aspect from the movie is non-existent in the book as well.

[Bill1978]

I'm sorry you didn't find my post funny and that I offended you Elioli. I actually really enjoyed HTTYD and at the moment I would say it's in my Top 5 animated movies of all time, possibly in the Top 3. I would be interested in a sequel for the movie with fingers crossed it's a sequel like Shrek 2 and not Madagascar 2 or Shrek 3. I guess I was just expressing that if since there is am already existing storyline out there for a potential franchise that Dreamwors would hopefully go with the idea and vibe rather than there standard pop culture filled jokes. In fact there are a number of movies in my unfunny sarcastic post that I enjoyed. While I'm not an avid supporter of Dreamworks I am happy to say that a movie of theirs was good when it was (Shrek 2, HTTYD, Kung Fu Panda, Over The Hedge) and to air my grievances when it's not (Shrek, Shrek The Third, the Madasgascar films)

[Ben]

Bill...don't take Elioli seriously...they've been a bit too serious about anyone taking pot-shots at HTTYD.

Elioli...rudeness will not be tolerated (that's a friendly warning).


On the story, I didn't know it was a series of books, but it sounds like DWs has done the sensible business thing and gone with their own plot anyway. This obviously has implications along the lines of them being able to introduce their own characters and retain ownership on them, etc, while expanding out into sequels that they can fashion themselves and, again, exploit without having to be specific to any book.

It's not like HTTYD is a classic novel like Peter Pan or even Harry Potter, so they have more flexibility in doing such things, and while it sounds that they've loosely based in on the book, I can see any potential sequels, for good or bad, heading off in their own directions. The real test will be if they can retain Sanders' team on follow-ups, or if he will be eager to spread to something else (as Adamson did after Shrek/Shrek 2, which is where the series well drastically off the rails).

[CGIFanatic]

It seems that before there was a decision to make a sequel both Sanders and DeBlois each were working on separate ideas for a sequel.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/04/28/chr ... ur-dragon/

[ELIOLI]

forgive me Bill for my stupid childish overreacting. Really.

[starlioness]

Isn't HTTYD based on a series of books?

How close is the movie to the actual book, cause if it is a series at least there is a true potential sequel story already in existence and Dreamworks won't be required to make up their own story and get Hiccup to help rid their village of lovable green ogres and wise cracking zebras by taming a giant woman who works for the shark mafia on the other side of the village's hedge by convincing her to stop eating honey and use her kung fu moves to sqaush the invaders like little antz.

ya sure you haven't worked for Dreamworks before.. that's like the crossover of the decade/century .. can you figure out a way to include prince of Egypt,El Dorado. Spirit and Sinbad in the mix ..

as for the spin-offs .. it's best to have an open mind .. and take with a large grain of Salt.. I really wonder now if Shrek 4 is really the last chapter .. or the prequel has been dropped.??

and didn't Katzenber say there was going to be 5 Panda sequels ? hmm..

[Bill1978]

can you figure out a way to include prince of Egypt,El Dorado. Spirit and Sinbad in the mix

I'll give it a go.

When God tells Hiccup that he will be rewarded with a city of gold if Hiccup can rid the village of lovable green ogres and wise cracking zebras, Hiccup jumps on his prized stallion of the cimmarron to jump over the village's hedge to tame a giant woman who works for the shark mafia and convinces her that if she stops eating honey and uses her kung fu moves to squash the invaders like little antz, he will give her the one thing she truly desires - a wise cracking pirate of the Seven Seas

[Ben]

I would pay to see that.

[CGIFanatic]

Here are some random sketches from Toby Sheldon.

http://tobyshelton.blogspot.com/2010/08 ... -your.html

[ELIOLI]

I believe the soundtrack just got ripped off from the Grammys...

[Bill1978]

With the Grammys I never hold much stock with the movie related areas. Especially when you factor in the Grammys nomination period covers 2 years worth of material. So they feel the need to acknowledge the stuff Oscars did earlier in the year, throw in a potential Oscar nod for this year and what happens is they neglect most of the stuff between the two. If Dragon was released later in the year it may have had better potential to be nominated. Plus the Grammys love Randy Newman and Danny Elfman, so no room for 'no names'

Just have a look at the dodgy movie songs that get nominated every year.